West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar with state CM Mamata Banerjee, in Kolkata. Dhankhar has been chosen as the BJP-led NDA's candidate for vice-presidential elections in 2022. (PTI Photo)Trinamool Congress chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting of the party’s Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs at her official residence on July 21 to discuss strategy for the monsoon session of Parliament and the August 6 vice-presidential election.
“This is to inform everyone that Mamata Banerjee has called an important meeting of all AITC Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs to discuss the party’s plan of action regarding the upcoming Parliament session and the vice-presidential election,” a party statement said.
The meeting will be held on the evening of July 21 at her Kalighat residence in south Kolkata.
According to TMC sources, the party will attack the BJP-led Central Government in Parliament.
The TMC, meanwhile, boycotted the all-party meeting called by the central government and protested the proposed digital media bill to be tabled in the upcoming session of Parliament. “Union govt never allow a discussion on any ‘people centric’ issue in #Parliament They run scared making a mockery of #ParliamentaryDemocracy. PRE-SESSION ALL PARTY MEETINGS NOW A SHAM. PM photo-op where Govt says ‘we are willing to discus any subject’ but end up ignoring Oppn (sic),” TMC MP Derek O’Brien tweeted on Saturday.
Union govt never allow a discussion on any ‘people centric’ issue in #Parliament They run scared making a mockery of #ParliamentaryDemocracy
PRE-SESSION ALL PARTY MEETINGS NOW A SHAM.
PM photo-op where Govt says ‘we are willing to discus any subject’ but end up ignoring Oppn
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 16, 2022
Another TMC MP Sougata Roy criticised the Central Government’s plan to introduce a bill for the regulation of digital media. “The Central Government always wants to curtail freedom of media and the opposition. We will strongly protest the proposed bill in Parliament,” said Roy.
Earlier on Saturday, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was announced as the BJP-led NDA’s vice-presidential candidate.
Making the announcement in New Delhi, BJP president J P Nadda lauded Dhankhar as a “kisan putra” (farmer’s son) who established himself as a “people’s Governor”.
Since assuming charge as the governor of West Bengal in July 2019, Dhankhar has taken on the Mamata-led government regularly over various issues.
BJP leaders noted that Dhankhar has been in public life for more than three decades, and his life story reflects the spirit of new India: “overcoming innumerable social and economic hurdles and achieving one’s goals”.
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